Hold-down for spring rail frogs



Sept. 13, 1938. J. c. GERLACH V 2,129,734

HOLD-DOWN FOR SPRING RAIL FROGS 7 Filled Feb. 25, 1957 fiulantor Jb/z/z G. 607 M Patented Sept. 13, 1938 llNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The invention relates to hold-down devices for the movable rail of a spring railway frog.

Its object is to secure greater strength and reliability than it has been possible to attain in devices of this character heretofore used.

The improved hold-down is fully hereinafter described, and is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a detail plan of a spring rail frog;

Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of the hold-down and tie plate with which it is associated;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the device, applied 5 to a tie plate, the horn of the reinforcing bar of the movable wing rail of the frog being indicated in dotted lines.

The hold-down device is shown at 5 in Fig. 1, associated with other elements of the frog of known form, comprising a pair of wing rails I0 and l I, one of which, I I, is laterally movable, and

a fixed point l2. The housing of the spring for holding the wing rail H in normal position is conventionally shown at l3, and the reinforcing bar riveted t0 the web of this rail is shown in dotted lines at M.

The tie plates associated with the frog are designated l5; the holes for the spikes for attaching these plates to the ties are represented at it limiting stops for arresting the lateral movement of the movable wing rail are represented at IT, l8,'one of them taking the form of a spring device. The bar I4 is provided with a laterally projecting horn I9, for cooperating with the hold down element.

The body portion of the hold-down, generally designated by the numeral 2|, is of the usual shape, having the form of an inverted U, formed of heavy sheet metal and being secured to a tie plate [5. This body portion is open at its ends,

one of which is directed toward the wing rail l l,

and the vertical height of its chamber is but slightly greater than the vertical dimension of the horn l9.

Portions of the side walls 22, 23, of this holddown element are prolonged downwardly and project through individual slots 24, 25, in the tie plate l5, and are bent laterally, as shown at 26, 27, to engage the lower face of this plate. The slotted portion of the tie plate is offset upwardly, as shown at 28, to provide space for the lateral extensions 26, 21.

The hold-down is secured to the tie plate before the latter is attached to the frog. The feet portions 26, 21, when inserted in the plate apertures, are straight and are heated previous to their insertion. After they are inserted they are bent laterally to bear against the lower face of the tie 5 plate to which they are then welded. The width of the feet 26, 21, is preferably less than the length of the body of the hold-down, and the feet are shown as being located adjacent to the outer end of the body. A bar 29 extends transversely of the tie plate, between the attaching feet and the forward end of the hold-down, and serves the double purpose of a limiting stop for arresting the lateral movement of the movable wing rail and as a bearing for the horn I9.

As heretofore made hold-down devices have been secured to the tie plate by bolts which, however securely locked, become loosened by the vibration incident to the heavy service, thereby per-. mitting vertical movement of the wing rail and consequent injury thereto as the ends of the rail are apt to be bent upwardly unless the holddown device functions efficiently.

The construction as shown insures permanent rigid attachment of the hold-down to the tie plate; the parts are easily assembled and permanently secured together, and there is practically no weakening of the tie plate.

I claim as my invention:-

In a hold-down device for spring rail frogs comprising in combination, a tie plate having its central portion ofifset upwardly forming upwardly projecting parallel bends extending at an angle to an end edge of the plate, said plate being provided with two parallel slots between said bends extending at an acute angle to a side edge of said plate, a U-shaped metal loop having its ends reduced in width and projecting through said slots and having its projecting ends bent outwardly in opposite directions in engagement with the lower surface of said offset portion and extending at substantially right angles to said bends and welded thereto by weld metal in pockets formed between the edges of the projecting ends and the adjacent bends of the plate, said slots being of a length and width but slightly greater than the width and thickness of the ends of said metal loop, and a bearing and stop bar rigidly secured to the upper surface of said plate inwardly of the innermost bend and parallel .5 therewith, said loop extending over said bar.

JOHN c. GERLACH. 

